MONROVIA, LIBERIA-Liberia has renewed its call for the protection of seafarers and freedom of navigation amid growing security threats and armed conflicts affecting international shipping.

The Commissioner of Liberia Maritime, Neto Lighe, has since expressed grave concern over persistent attacks against commercial vessels in international waters, putting thousands of seafarers at risk.

Cllr. Lighe warned that these unwarranted attacks continue to endanger innocent seafarers, damage commercial vessels, disrupt international trade and tragically claim human lives.

He said:” The freedom of navigation and the right of innocent passage as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) must be respected and upheld in accordance with international law”.

In a statement, Commissioner Lighe appealed for peace and urged all parties involved in ongoing conflicts to exercise maximum restraint, cease hostilities, and embrace dialogue and diplomacy as the most credible pathways toward lasting peace and stability.